France and allies call for EU trade defense tool to fend off China

The EU must defend itself more firmly against major global competitors, a group of countries led by France said in a policy paper released by Euractiv just days before a major the China strategy debate within the European Commission.

As part of efforts to give Europe’s industry – battered by the pandemic and multiple energy crises – better tools to compete with China. state supported firms, The call for a much stronger EU trade policy comes from France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Lithuania.

The rules-based trading system “is being undermined by a variety of actors and the rise of unfair trading practices,” the group acknowledges.

In response, Europe “should explore the possibility of developing a broader, cross-sectoral trade defense tool,” the paper argues. Citing national security concerns related to, say, China’s chokehold on data rare earthThe bloc “may apply measures such as additional duties or TRQs in order to protect European producers”.

TRQs, better known as quotes, have long been a favorite trading instrument in Paris.

On Friday, May 29, top European Commission leaders will hold a debate on the bloc’s long-term strategy for dealing with China. In 2025, the EU’s trade deficit with China reached €360 billion, a fifth more than a year ago.

French President Emmanuel Macron already proposed American-style “safeguards, safeguards” similar to “Article 301Tariffs unilaterally imposed by Washington on Chinese steel for violations of intellectual property law.

Paris and Berlin have done it repeatedly come to blows on the EU’s trade policy vis-à-vis China – notably, neither Germany nor Poland have signed up to the French non-paper.

(jp)